Open-source flight controller firmware for UBC Rocket's experimental VTOL platform
Ulysses powers UBC Rocket's Coaxial Counter-Rotating Vertical Take-off and Landing Drone — a testbed designed for developing and validating advanced rocket flight control algorithms in real-world conditions.
The project is a multi-phase plan, with the goal of a fully-featured prototype capable of returning to a specified point when dropped from a high altitude by 2027. The goal for the 2025 - 2026 academic year is as follows:
| Phase | Deliverables | Planned Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Prototype capable of moving up, hovering, and landing | Jan 2026 |
| Phase 2 | Prototype capable of moving along a horizontal plane | May 2026 |
| Phase 3 | Swapping from a PID-based control system to an MPC system; FPGA system; general polishing | LC 2026 |
The freeRTOS project is setup with three main tasks.
| Task | Priority | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Communication (sending + receiving) | Low | WIP |
| Motor Control | High | WIP |
| Sensor Fusion | High | WIP |
Sensor data acquisition is handled asynchronously using DMA, so no dedicated polling task is required.